Bengaluru: Karnataka MLC and KPCC media wing chairman Ramesh Babu said on Saturday that while the Congress fully accepts its defeat in Bihar, the BJP too must answer several “uncomfortable questions” arising from the results, particularly regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political impact in the state.
In a post on X, Ramesh Babu noted that despite the NDA’s sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the outcome signals a “personal setback” for Modi. He pointed out that the BJP had won 91 seats in the 2010 Assembly polls—when L.K. Advani remained a towering national figure—whereas in 2025, under Modi’s leadership, the party has secured only 89 seats.
*We are accepting Congress Party defeat in Bihar for various factors. At the same time as a political party and claiming as party with deference, BJP is answerable to the several points!*
While the NDA’s 2025 landslide in Bihar is impressive, a closer look reveals a setback for… pic.twitter.com/YZk9tLh9ih
— Ramesh Babu (@RameshBabuKPCC) November 15, 2025
According to him, the numbers indicate that Modi’s national popularity is not translating into stronger electoral gains for the BJP in Bihar. “Modi’s growth in the state remains heavily dependent on regional partners,” he said, arguing that this challenges the BJP narrative that the Prime Minister’s appeal automatically guarantees dominance for the party in key states.
Ramesh Babu added that over a 15-year period, despite the BJP’s massive expansion at the national level, its performance in Bihar has remained largely stagnant. “For a party that has grown exponentially under Modi, the Bihar numbers are striking. The seat share is slightly lower than what the BJP achieved in 2010,” he said.
He also noted that while Advani was a national heavyweight in 2010, the BJP’s state operations were led by Sushil Kumar Modi, and Nitin Gadkari served as the party’s national president. In 2025, Narendra Modi is the undisputed face of the party, and therefore, a “stronger Modi wave” would normally be expected in a state election.
“The data shows only marginal improvement—if at all—in Bihar. Modi has not been able to significantly deepen the BJP’s base in the state over the past decade and a half,” he argued, concluding with a pointed question: “Will the BJP accept this naked truth?”